This was a tight nervous game for Sarsfields after a long journey to Breffni Park on Saturday but they happily made it to the semi-final after a very tough match.
Sarsfields started the half well scoring early which settled them with a score from Kevin McKerman before a free by Cootehill Connor Deleney levelled matters.
Kevo scored another point from a free to move Sarsfield’s back ahead followed by another from his brother in arms Caolan Mc Kernan to give the Antrim champions some early momentum.
Then Nick O’ Mullane struck a blow for Coothill with a well taken goal to move the Cavan champions one ahead and it looked like they were up for the challenge..
Coothill were finding it difficult to extend their early lead but Dylan McKeever added one to keep them in the game before Kevin McKernan replied with 2 points from frees to bring the ‘Paddies’ right back into contention
Slowly though Sarsfield’s settled and a goal by Darren Delander looked like making it a long day for Coothill before 3 points from Deleaney, Moffett and Leonard brought them back into contention once more.
Sarsfield’s replied again with 2 points from Delander and Kevo McKernan to edge Sarsfields ahead 2-7 to 0-6 but the Antrim champions were missing a lot of chances.
Cootehill were battling hard to get back into contention and scored the next 3 points through Diamond Carney and two frees from Delaney to keep the scoreboard ticking over to leave it 2-7 to 0-9 for the Stewartstown Road side at the break.
Mark Moffett hit the opening score of the second half to close the gap to three and it was obvious that |Cootehill were up for the fight.
Back came Sarsfields and Cormac Mulligan and Caloan Mc Kernan fired over points to move the visitors five ahead again but the excellent Moffett responded from 2 more frees to keep the Cavan side in touch.
Fionn Jemfrey and Daniel Smyth replied with points for the men from the ‘Bear Pit’ before Moffett hit another free leaving the score 2-11 to 0-12 after 37 minutes making it a 5 point game.
Sarsfields were still missing a lot of chances and allowing Coothill back into the games by conceding needless frees but they received a massive boost when Fionn Jemfry got in for their third goal.
Philip Mc Cabe saw red for the Cavan side on the 40th minute with the game still in the balance as wee bit of needle started to creep in but it was the Antrim champions who kept their cool going down the home straight.
Kevin McKernan pointed a free before Coothill responded with three on the bounce through Moffett again from a free and Diarmaid Carney and Mc Keever from play.
It still looked anybody’s game but it was Sarsfield’s who hit the next four scores to put a bit of daylight between the sides. Seamus Clekin added one for Cootehill but Sarsfields added three more of their own
The Cavan champions finished strongly and Mc Keever added a goal and point before the final whistle but it was too little, too late and Fionn Jemfrey sealed the win with a late goal for the men from Belfast.
Antrim league and championship winners, St. Mary’s Rasharkin made the long trip to Clones on Sunday to face Drumhowan of Monaghan in the Ulster quarter-final and despite a much improved second half performance, fell to the Monaghan champions, Drumhowan.
The men from Dreen found themselves under immediate pressure from the throw in as Drumhowan raced into an early 1-3 to 0-0 lead with Daragh McElearney 0-2, Aodhan Brennan (goal) and a further Oisin Quinn point the men on target.
James Higgins raised Rasharkin’s hopes with their opening point from play in the 8th minute and when Eamonn McNeill replied with a goal to a Liam McGurk point for the Monaghan side, the Antrim champions looked like they were beginning to settle.
Eamonn McNeill who was in fine form for Rasharkin and top scored for the Antrim champions
Further exchanges between Tom Doherty (f) and the industrious McNeill kept St. Mary’s within touching distance after 14 minutes and another Rasharkin point from James Higgins closed the gap to two at the end of the opening quarter.
Back came Drumhowan and Joseph Duffy and Patrick Quinn pointed from play before Jason Clarke found the net in the 18th minute to put a bit of distance between the sides.
Pearse McTeague made a brief reply for St. Mary’s when he split the posts but two goals within a minute from Eanna Curran and Tom Doherty opened up a nine point gap and the excellent Doherty kicked the final 2 points of the half to leave his side 4-9 to 1-4 ahead at the break.
Rasharkin introduced Killian O’Boyle for the injured Tiernan O’Boyle at the start of the second half with Daragh McElearney extending the Drumhowan lead with an early point.
Rasharkin replied with a fine score from Fearghal Kennedy and Eamonn McNeill followed from a free as the Monaghan champions rang the changes before the Antrim side suffered a blow when Thomas Hasson was shown a Black card.
Tom Doherty then punished a breach from St. Mary’s and added another free before Eamonn McNeill responded as he punished a Drumhowan breach to briefly halted the Monaghan side surge.
The Dreen side continued to battle against the odds with McNeill and Fearghal Kennedy pointing from play as Brian Og O’Neill was introduced for Thomas Hasson and Daniel Doherty came in for Andrew Hasson.
The Monaghan side had been under a period of sustained pressure but responded with a 2 pointer from Oisin Quinn in the 20th minute but St. Mary’s now had a bit of wind in their sales.
Cormac McMullan replied with a 2 pointer for the Antrim champions and when Daniel Doherty fired home their second goal in the 23d minute the momentum was with the men from South West Antrim.
Drumhowan’s mass substitutions seemed to have disrupted their rhythm for a time but they regrouped in the closing stages with an Eamonn McNeill point late in the half all that the visitors could manage.
In the end it was a Daragh McElearney inspire Drumhowan side who took the spoils with something to spare but Rashrkin will rue the concession of those four first half goals while taking some satisfaction from a fine second half performance which in the end came up short.
It’s been a good season for St. Mary’s Rasharkin under the guidance of Cathal McMullan and Paddy Kelly and they will play their football in division 2 next year and in the Intermediate championship.
The team has undergone massive change this season with quite a number of youngsters coming into the side and quite a few of them would have experienced Ulster for the first time on Sunday.
It will stand them in good stead for next season where consolidation will be the primary aim but they are well capable of causing a few upsets on the way.
Rasharkin GAC starting 15:-
1 – Ryan Doherty
2 – Liam Quigg
3 – Fergus Quigg (c)
4 – Pearse Kelly
19 – Pearse McTague
6 – Fearghal Kennedy
7 – Colm Kennedy
8 – Tiernan O’Boyle
9 – Oran McMullan
5 – Thomas Hasson
11 – Cormac McMullan
12 – James Higgins
20 – Oisin Casey
14 – Eamonn McNeill
15 – Andrew Hasson
Rasharkin Subs: Killian O’Boyle, Brian Og O’Neill, Daniel Doherty, Liam Quigg
Referee: Mark Turley (An Dun)
TO VIEW MORE OF MARK HASSON’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass had little trouble in overcoming the challenge of Derry champions, Steelstown in this LGFA Senior Club semi-final to set up a final meeting with old acquaintances, Donnaghmoyne.
The reigning Antrim and Ulster champions took control from early in the contest and had matters pretty well in hand when they led 4-9 to 1-4 at the halfway stage.
Cathy Carey set them on their way with a goal after 5 minutes and further goals from Sarah O’Neill, Maria O’Neill and Leah Stewart put them in almost total control while Orlagh Prenter 0-3, Maria O’Neill 0-3, Ruby Mc Erlain 0-2 and Cliona Griffin were their first half point scorers.
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It didn’t get any better for the Derry champions after the break as last year’s All Ireland beaten finalists ran riot and further goals from Ruby McErlain in the 14th and 16th minutes put them out of sight.
Orlaith Prenter continued to give an exhibition of point taking, adding another 4 to her first half contribution to take her total to 0-7 for the afternoon while Ruby McErlain, Laura McCann 0-2, Cathy Carey 0-2, Leah Cassidy and Maria O’Neill were all on target.
Dara McKeever was Steelstown outstanding performer, kicking 3 first half points and contributing their only second half score while her mid-field partner, Orla McGeough battled bravely beside her, contributing 1-1 over the hour.
St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass now play former Ulster kingpins, Donnaghmoyne in the decider after the Monaghan champions defeated Knockbride of Cavan in the other semi-final and while they may not be the potent force they once were, they never the less will provide a step up in class from the Derry champions.
The final is scheduled for Killyclogher next Sunday 8th November at 2-30pm and a good crowd is expected as St. Ergnat’s attempt to retain their Ulster title to provide them with another opportunity of attaining another attempt at All Ireland glory
Moneyglass: 1 Aine Devlin, 2 Aoife Leahy, 3 Niamh McIntosh, 4 Caitlion Graffin, 5 Rebecca Bradley, 6 Emma Louise McAreavey, 7 Cliona Griffin, 8 Leah Cassidy, 9 Sarah O’Neill, 10 Leah Stewart, 11 Maria O’Neill, 12 Bronagh Devlin, 13 Ruby McErlain, 14 Cathy Carey, 15 Orlaith Prenter, 18 Laura McCann
Dunloy bridged a four year gap on Sunday afternoon as they defeated Cushendall to win the Volunteer Cup in Ballycastle, their 17th title in all, which moves them level in second place with Ballycastle in the roll of honour. Six points was the difference on a day where the Cuchullains showed their pedigree in finals.
In a match full of massive moments, it was the Cuchullains who had more of those in their favour – the majority of those in the second half. Ciarán Elliott’s goal in the 16th minute was the game defining score and gave Dunloy an element of control in a high octane contest but there were moments at the opposite end of the pitch with the Cuchullains winning that shaped the contest.
Joint captains Keelan Molloy and Ryan Elliott lift the Volunteer Cup after their teams win over Cushendall in the BathShack Antrim Senior Hurling final at Pairc MacUílíín, Ballycastle
Oran Quinn’s block to deny Fiontan Bradley a certain goal was ridiculously brilliant. The Cushendall man looked certain to find the back of the net only for the Dunloy defender to produce a moment of bravery.
The save from Ryan Elliott at the death to deny Joseph McLaughlin. A penalty was awarded and then overturned for a prior infringement. Strong refereeing from Mark O’Neill and it gave Dunloy the rub of the green that is needed on the big occasion.
Conal Cunning was the tormentor in chief for Dunloy and raised the white flag on 10 occasions. He and Seaan Elliott did the lions share of the scoring for the Cuchullains but this was a game built upon their defence.
Oran Quinn’s block could go down in Dunloy folklore never mind his overall performance while Ryan McGarry, Eoin McFerran and Aaron Crawford all excelled.
Cushendall never seemed to click into gear on the day and after an even opening quarter, struggled to make inroads in the Dunloy defence. Fiontan Bradley always looked dangerous along with Joseph McLaughlin but Dunloy seemed to play with more intensity and a savage hunger that made them first to almost every ball.
Dunloy’s Ciaran Elliott punches the air in celebration after scoring his team’s goal
That being said, Cushendall have a man that is capable of dragging them from the depths and has done on numerous occasions. Neil McManus bagged their major from a 21 yard free in the 57th minute that reduced the Dunloy lead to four points. One of those moments that went the way of the Ruairi’s but there wasn’t enough of them on the day. To Dunloy’s credit they hit back right away and eased any anxiety their fans may have had as they comfortably closed out the game.
Dunloy had the wind advantage in the first half and could have been out of sight by half time. Ciarán Elliott’s goal came to put some daylight between the sides but the Dunloy forward passed up the chance for goals on another two occasions before the half was out. ‘Cat’ has been a real goal threat for Dunloy throughout 2026 and those misses along with some uncharacteristic, missed chances from frees could have hurt the Dunloy challenge.
Cushendall were excellent in the opening 10 minutes with Bradley firing over on a couple of occasions but only scored one point in almost 20 minutes as Dunloy took control.
Seaan Elliott’s first half performance was one of the main reasons Dunloy had built a lead with four of his five points coming in the opening 30 but ‘Coby’ Cunning was again outstanding also. His point in the 14th minute where he rose highest in a crowd and broke free before firing over was a massive moment in the game.
Five points was far from an unassailable lead and with that wind showing little signs of calming, the opening quarter to the second half was always going to be massive. It was another period of play that the Cuchullains took the game by the scruff of the neck. They outscored Cushendall five points to two, Coby’s frees and points from Keelan Molloy and Seaan Elliott came in response to points from McManus and Joseph McLaughlin to put eight between the sides.
The Ruairi’s fought back and had their first period of sustained pressure on the Dunloy defence at the start of the closing quarter. ‘Pep’ McLaughlin split the uprights for his second from play and sixth overall in the 43rd minute but incredibly, that was to be his last score of the final.
Then came the block. Is it an exaggeration to say it was the winning of the game? I don’t think it is. A goal then and with plenty of time on the clock remaining, it could have been a different story. Quinn put his body on the line to deny Bradley and Dunloy managed to re-establish their eight point lead going into the final 10 minutes.
It was going to take something special for Cushendall to get back into the final and when McManus fired to the back of Ryan Elliott’s net from a 21 yard free, the lead was four and it looked like we were in for a barnstorming finish. We have seen it so many times in the past where the Ruairi’s produce at the death, bringing them back from the brink and it’s that man McManus who is inevitably at the heart of it all.
Dunloy’s Coby Cunning and Cushendall’s Austin Birt get in a tangle as the action heats up in the Antrim hurling final
It never materialised. If anything, this was one comeback too many that even the Ruairi’s couldn’t muster. Points from Coby (free) and substitute Tom McFerran gave Dunloy the perfect response to that McManus goal.
Cushendall had those chances at the death, Ryan Elliott denying Joseph McLaughlin while the penalty awarded for an infringement on Sean McAfee was overturned for someone lifting the sliotar off the ground in the build-up.
Dunloy rode out the late Cushendall storm and celebrated at the final whistle. They move to joined second in the Roll of Honour with Sunday the 17th time they’ve reached the summit in the county.
They go on to face Down champions Portaferry in Armagh in two weeks’ time in what should be another thriller. With Slaughneil lying in wait in the final and the Cuchullain’s Camogs also facing the Down champions in an Ulster semi-final these are special days for Cuchullains club.
Man of the match Seaan Elliott controls the ball on his hurl as runs at the Cushendall defence
TEAMS
Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Oran Quinn, Ryan McGarry, Aaron Crawford; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Aodhan McGarry; Nicky McKeague, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning, Luke McFerran; Ciarán Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Chrissy McMahon
Subs: Tom McFerran for C McMahon (47); Paul Shiels for E Smyth (52); Barry Scott for C Elliott (60)
Scorers: C Cunning 0-10 (5fs, 1’65); S Elliott 0-5; C Elliott 1-00; L Molloy 0-1; A McGarry 0-1; N McKeague 0-1; T McFerran 0-1
Cushendall Starting XV: Conor McAlister; Conor McCann, Martin Burke, Fred McCurry; Scott Walsh, Austin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Eoghan Campbell, Callagh Mooney; Thomas McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, Fergus McCambridge; Fiontan Bradley, Neil McManus, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Ryan McCambridge for E Campbell (39); Sean McAfee for F McCambridge (44); Joe McNaughton for E McQuillan (54)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 0-6 (3f, 1’65); N McManus 1-2 (1-1f); F Bradley 0-2; T McLaughlin 0-1; C McAuley 0-1; E Campbell 0-1
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
TO SEE MORE OF CURLY’S PICS FROM THE FINAL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran at Fr. Barrett Park pitch 2
A clash with the Ulster dancing championship, injuries and an unfortunate red card took a toll in Loughgiel’s challenge against a strong Crosserlough side that backed up their determination to make the three hour journey by cars into the Saffron county count. A low scoring first half where Loughgiel could only tally four points to Crosserlough’s nine, left everything on the table for a possible turnaround with a decent breeze on the Shamrocks’ backs. But we’ve seen it time and time again at this time of the year, where the wind drops as the afternoon burns it’s wick to the bottom, leaving Loughgiel with little to no advantage after the third quarter in Saturday’s game.
Anna Smyth stepped up to the mark until an unfortunate card ended her game in the second half
Loughgiel were the first to open up their scoring account with a free from Rose McMullan, a token score for her foul after Anna McKillop dropped in a dangerous ball, but Crosserlough were quick to reply with a point from play by the omnipresent, Cara Reilly, that would add a further 1-07 to her name across the afternoon.
McMullan added another point from play from a very industrious young Anna Smyth, who was showing everything she had learned in her spell training with the senior squad, but Crosserlough’s Reilly was on form and another four points on the trot would pass before Loughgiel’s Carla Sullivan would point. Eimear McCarthy topped that with a great pointed effort, set up by McMullan, though Crosserlough would take the game up to the break with three points in a row from Hannah Boylan, Ciara Finnegan and Reilly.
Loughgiel’s Sarah Lavin gives it out in equal measures in Saturday’s physical semi final game
Loughgiel’s Therese Hill could have caused an upset going into the break, when off she ran on an unchallenged blistering solo that eventually spilled wide for a forty five. McMullan drifted that wide of the right upright into the challenging breeze. Match referee, Kieran Rice, glanced at his watch and blew for half time, scores standing Loughgiel 0-04 Crosserlough 0-09.
Hopes ran high at the restart, maybe fortunes would turn with the wind for the Shamrocks, but Crosserlough continued to be a physical handful, working the ball forward off the shoulder into what seemed like open play at times. That would eventually end productfull for Crosserlough, as two goals ripped into the heart of Loughgiel’s net from substitute Niamh Reilly and Cara Reilly.
Crosserlough’s Orla Flynn was instrumental in creating so many assists and rewarded with her own green flag
Despite several opportunities to drop in a ball short of Crosserlough’s small box, Loughgiel couldn’t buy any luck as one drifted wide, went over the bar and another recycled out as the injury time ebbed away. Anna McKillop would finish Loughgiel’s season with a fine point fed in from Therese Hill, just before Rice blew for full time, scores at Loughgiel 0-08 Crosserlough 2-12.
Crosserlough now face Ballinderry in the final, after cruising past Mayobridge in the other semi final played in Mayobridge.
**You can see more photos from today’s semi final by following the link here…
